President William Ruto has agreed to name a newly built stadium in Wajir after Ahmed Mohamed Khalif, the first cabinet minister from the region.
The announcement came during the 63rd Madaraka Day celebrations in Wajir on Monday, after Wajir Governor Ahmed Abdullahi urged the president to honour the late Khalif, who represented the area at the highest levels of government before his death in a plane crash in January 2003.
“I am an accidental politician,” Governor Abdullahi told the gathering. “I engaged in politics for the first time in 2002 not to contest but to help Ahmed Khalif, a man I admired, to reclaim his seat as his campaign manager. It would be a befitting tribute for the people of Wajir to name this magnificent stadium the Ahmed Khalif Stadium.”
Ruto accepted the request without hesitation. “I agree with you that this stadium should be called Ahmed Khalif Wajir Stadium,” he said, adding that the facility would be completed to full international standards.
In a broader address that turned emotional, Ruto addressed long-standing grievances in the region, where residents have frequently complained of marginalization and ethnic profiling, including difficulties obtaining national identification cards.
“I want to apologise on behalf of the people of Kenya,” the president said. “It was never meant to be this way. This has been a very emotional moment for me. People here deserve equal dignity and treatment under the law.”
Ruto also sought to clarify a February 2025 presidential proclamation aimed at improving registration and issuance of identity cards and birth certificates in Northern Kenya. The directive, he said, was not intended to facilitate illegal acquisition of Kenyan documents by foreigners.
“Kenyan identity cards will only be issued to legitimate citizens of this Republic,” he emphasized. “Our commitment to justice and inclusion goes hand in hand with our duty to protect the integrity of our national identity and the security of our country.”
The president used the occasion to outline development initiatives for the region, including construction of a university, expansion of road networks, new housing units, and improved healthcare facilities.
Leave a comment